occupy canada

A directory to #Occupy Canada

Occupy Canada officially launched across Canada on October 15, 2011, with 34 cities declaring their participation one month after the Occupy Wall Street movement took off in the U.S. 21 of these occupations are ongoing.

It is fitting and inspiring to see Occupy Canada return to Canada since it was Canadian publishing and culture-jamming group Adbusters who made the first Occupy Wall Street call out on July 13, 2011.

In a solidarity response to the Adbuster call out, Occupy Wall Street was born. And it has spread across North America and Europe.

The Occupation on Wall Street began on September 17, 2011 which was Constitution Day in the United States and is currently ongoing. On September 17, 2011, 1,500 people rallied and attempted to set up their HQ right on Wall Street to start the occupation, though the NYPD kyboshed that plan. The HQ eventually settled down at Zuccoti Park, which is now called Liberty Park.

Occupy Canada rallies joined the growing movement on the October 15th Global Day of Action, which took place in at least 20 Canadian cities. rabble.ca’s ongoing coverage of the Occupy movement is at https://rabble.ca/occupy — and below is a directory of Occupy actions in Canada. If you are part of an action not listed here, please leave the details in the comment section below to be added to the list.

First, a note on decolonization and the occupy movement: Turtle Island (Canada) is already occupied land and has been occupied for 400 years. To learn about Indigenous viewpoints and the Occupy movement, please see Occupy(ed) Canada: The political economy of Indigenous dispossession in Canada written by Shiri Pasternak here.

A directory of Occupy Canada (with files from Kim Elliott) Last updated: October 28, 2011.

YUKON

Occupy Whitehorse
Location: Yukon Legislature Building
Update: Ongoing. Joined already established camp to protest the lack of affordable housing. Plans are to remain on site.
Twitter: #OccupyWhitehse
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Whitehorse/210972445639357?sk=wall

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Occupy Courtenay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Courtenay-BC/184779418265982?sk=wall

Occupy Cranbrooke (BC)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Courtenay-BC/184779418265982?sk=wall

Occupy Kamloops
Location: Spirit Park (North side of the city)
Update: Ongoing encampment.
Twitter: #occupykamploops
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyKamloops

Occupy Kelowna
Location: Kerry Park
Update: Ongoing.
Notes: In current negotiations with the city over the ability to camp with tents at Kerry Park.
Twitter: #occupykelowna
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyKelowna

Occupy Naniamo
Location: Diana Krall Plaza
Update: Ongoing. Saturday rallies
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupynanaimo

Occupy Nelson
Location: Nelson City Hall – 310 Ward Street
Update: Ongoing.
Notes: City Hall courtyard. There are numerous tents and a kitchen structure. A consensus agreement was reached with the mayor, John Dooley, to vacate the site November 9, 2011, to allow the community to meet for Veterans day, an annual event. There was discussion on returning possibly with an information type booth which the mayor would support.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142597779170709

What’s the Plan, Vancouver? (Occupy Vancouver, BC)
Location: HQ on the lawn of the Vancouver Art Gallery
Update: Ongoing. Roughly 100 people camping out at the site and they have vowed to hold fast during the winter weather; they have already survived plenty of rain.
Notes: Occupy Vancouver has removed the reference to “Occupy” in support of First Nations communities. Mayor of Vancouver has stated this week that he wishes evict the occupation.
Twitter: #OccupyVancouver
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=272031446152373
Webpage: http://occupyvancouver.com/

Occupy Victoria (BC) (The Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria)
Location: Centennial Square
Update: Ongoing. There are 63 tents. No plans of eviction. Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin praised the Occupy Victoria movement and its international counterparts as “citizen participation and one of the emerging issues of our times,” saying that “people have an urgent need to be involved in the events and process that shape their lives.”
Twitter: #OccupyVictoria
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166245523460861
Webpage: http://occupyvictoria.ca/

 

ALBERTA

Occupy Calgary, AB
Location: Olympic Plaza and St. Patrick Island.
Update: Ongoing, spread over two locations.
Notes: City of Calgary police officers have informed Occupy Calgary protests at the Olympic Plaza site they have to leave in the next week. City officials said Thursday that protesters should move to St. Patrick’s Island, the area originally set aside for the Occupy events where a few activists are tented out.
Twitter: #OccupyCalgary
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OccupyCalgary
Webpage: http://occupycalgary.ca/

Occupy Edmonton, AB
Location: Churchill Square
Update: Ongoing. 40 people are sleeping at the occupation site.
Notes: The occupiers have faced down their 3rd eviction order, the last issued by the Melcor Development Corporation as of Sunday October 23, 2011, at 11:00 pm. The occupiers plan to defend their occupation and have defied this latest order to leave. Please see here for more details. 
Twitter: #OccupyYEG
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyEdmonton
Webpage: http://occupyedmonton.org/

Occupy Lethbridge, AB
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Occupy-Lethbridge/100003039921409#!/people/Occupy-Lethbridge/100003039921409?sk=wall


SASKATCHEWAN

Occupy Regina
Location: Victoria Park
Update: Ongoing. There are approximately 30 people currently living at Victoria Park.
Twitter: #OccupyRegina
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupyregina?sk=info

Occupy Saskatoon
Location: Friendship Park
Update: Ongoing. About a dozen tents are at Friendship Park.
Notes: Occupy Saskatoon is welcoming in residents of the city who find themselves homeless and a partnership between the two communities and their advocates have begun.
Twitter: #OccupySaskatoon
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupy.saskatoon?sk=info
Webpage: http://www.occupysaskatoon.org/

 

MANITOBA

Occupy Winnipeg
Location: Memorial Park
Update: Ongoing. There are about 42 tents at Memorial Park. Due to the cold, they received permission to have a fire pit.
Twitter: #Occupywpg
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupywpg?sk=info
Webpage: http://www.occupy-winnipeg.com/

 

ONTARIO

Occupy Guelph, ON
Location: St. George’s Square
Update: Ongoing. Approximately 26 people are occupying the site.
Notes: On October 20, 2011, members of Occupy Guelph visited Liberal MPP Liz Sandals’s office to demonstration against cuts to the Special Diet.
Twitter: #OccupyGuelph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=258639724172026

Occupy Hamilton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OccupyHamilton

Occupy Kingston, ON
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupykingston?sk=info

Occupy London, ON
Location: Victoria Park
Update: Just starting. 22 tents are pitched at Victoria Park.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupylondonontario?sk=info

Occupy Ottawa
Location: Confederation Park
Update: Ongoing. More than 200 people are currently occupying Confederation Park.
Twitter: #OccupyOttawa
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/Occupy.Ottawa/
Webpage: http://www.occupyottawa.org/

Occupy Thunder Bay
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Thunder-Bay/106370376140335

Occupy Toronto
Location: St. James Park (King Street and Jarvis Street)
Update: Ongoing. 250 tents at St. James Park with permission of St. James Cathedral.
Notes: Largest complaint by police has been drumming at 5:00 am.
Twitter: #OccupyToronto
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyToronto
Webpage: http://occupyto.org/

Occupy Sault Sainte Marie (and Algoma District)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Algoma-District-and-Sault-Ste-Marie-ON/187245398017583?sk=wall

Occupy Sudbury
Location: Memorial Park.
Update: Just starting. One large tent.
Notes: Occupation began on Saturday when Sudbury police allowed park to remain occupied after 11:00 pm.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/234475546607634/

Occupy Windsor, ON
Notes: In solidarity with Occupy Detriot.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyWindsor

 

QUEBEC

Occupy Montreal / Occupons Montréal
Location: Victoria Park
Update: Ongoing. More than 200 tents occupy Victoria Park.
Notes: Occupation is fully bilingual.
Twitter:#OccupyMontreal / #Occupons Montreal
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupymontreal?sk=info
Webpage: http://occupymontreal.tk/?page_id=2

Occupy Quebec (Quebec)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupyquebec?sk=wall

Occupy Saguenay (Quebec)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupons-Saguenay/131514616950818

 

NEW BRUNSWICK

Occupy Fredericton
Location: Fredericton City Hall – 397 Queen Street.
Update: Ongoing. Number of participants or tents unknown.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyFredericton

Occupy Moncton
Location: Aberdeen Park
Update: Ongoing. Number of participants or tents unknown.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MonctonGeneralAssembly?sk=info

Occupy Saint John
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupysjnb


NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Occupy St. John’s
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupyNL http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-St-Johns/261788043864015#!/

Occupy Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/occupyNL?sk=wall&filter=2

 

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Occupy Charlottetown
Twitter: #OccupyPEI
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-PEI/274205409266369

 

NOVA SCOTIA

Occupy Halifax
Location: Grand Parade
Update: Ongoing. 76 tents in Grand Parade at city hall.
Twitter: #OccupyHalifax
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/OccupyNS/

Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...